Cuttack: The civic body is facing an uphill task to make most of its wards open defecation-free.

The Cuttack Municipal Corporation has been implementing the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in a phased manner to achieve the open defecation-free tag for its wards. But in several areas, people continue to shun use of toilets because of habit, prompting the civic body to seek the assistance of non-governmental organisations to implement the rules.

Municipal commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra told The Telegraph on Tuesday that in several localities, measures to eliminate open defecation were making little headway because the idea of regular toilet usage was still not a social norm.

The corporation had targeted to declare at least 60 per cent of the wards open defecation-free by the end of March by fulfilling the parameters of SBM. The city has 59 wards.

"Unless there is a behavioural change in people, especially those in the slums, achieving the open defecation-free tag will be a difficult task," Mohapatra conceded.

There are 85 public toilets near slum settlements in various wards with 18 toilets being recently added.

The civic body had undertaken renovation of public toilets that were badly in need of repair. Another 45 toilets are being constructed. "But even after construction of public toilets near slums, people prefer defecating in the open," Mohapatra said.

"We have roped in two NGOs to create responsiveness among the people in six wards to stop open defecation and make them understand that the practice poses a serious threat to their health, especially that of their children," he said.

As part of the implementation of the SBM to achieve open defecation-free tag for wards, ward sanitation committees are also at work in all the 59 wards. Headed by the respective councillors, these committees have community organisers as members.

According to parameters of the SBM, any urban local body can declare its wards open defecation-free only if it is successful in providing public conveniences at 75 per cent of its areas. Also, there should be provision for toilets within 500 metres of slum.

Chairman of the corporation's standing committee for sanitation Ranjan Biswal said 7,000-odd households who defecated out in the open have been enumerated for benefit under the Indian Household Latrine Scheme.

"The civic body is providing Rs 8,000 for each latrines. Around 3,500 household latrines have already been constructed under the scheme. The remaining are expected to be constructed by the end of July," Biswal said.